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But another contestant, Suzanne Mendonca told The Post: "People would take amphetamines, water pills, diuretics, and throw up in the bathroom.

"They would take their spin bikes into the steam room to work up a sweat. I vomited every single day. Bob Harper [a trainer on the show] tells people to throw up: 'Good,' he says. 'You'll lose more calories'."

She says people were passing out in the doctor's office at the final weigh in, and five people on her season alone had to be rushed to hospital.

Mendonca says the show ruins lives: "You come back a different person. Half the people from my season have gotten divorced. The ripple effect isn't just weeks or months. It's years."

Mark Yesitis says he was "probably near death" by the end of the show. Photo / Getty Images